European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
The utility of shock index in differentiating major from minor injury.
The importance of early recognition of hemorrhagic shock and its effects on outcome have long been recognized. Traditional vital signs are relatively insensitive as early diagnostic markers of hemorrhage. The shock index (SI); heart rate (HR) divided by systolic blood pressure (SBP), has been suggested as such a marker. We tested the diagnostic utility of the SI in differentiating major from minor injury in trauma patients. ⋯ The SI can be a valuable tool, raising suspicion when it is abnormal even when other parameters are not, but is far too insensitive for use as a screening device to rule out disease. A normal SI should not lower the suspicion of major injury.
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Comparative Study
Physician experience in addition to ACLS training does not significantly affect the outcome of prehospital cardiac arrest.
Little data exists on whether the physicians' skills in responding to cardiac arrest are fully developed after the advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) course, or if there is a significant improvement in their performance after an initial learning curve. ⋯ In this study, resuscitative experience of the physician did not have a significant effect on survival suggesting that experience does not significantly add to the current ACLS training in responding to ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia. More studies are needed.
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Serious pulmonary and cardiac failure may be treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) when the conventional treatment fails. Improvements in extracorporeal circulation devices have allowed us to set up two specialized mobile units: a mobile cardiac assistance unit (MCAU) and a mobile respiratory assistance unit (MRAU). Their role is to provide ECMO at patient's bedside, and then to ensure inter-hospital transport (IHT). The aim of this study was to evaluate our experiences with the transportation of patients on ECMO. ⋯ This study shows that mobile ECMO system can be successfully and quickly established at patient's bedside, and that transportation of patients on ECMO can be performed safely and without technical difficulties.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of autopsy detected injuries in a porcine model of cardiac arrest treated with either manual or mechanical chest compressions.
The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the complications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation after manual or mechanical chest compressions in a swine model of ventricular fibrillation. In this retrospective study, 106 swine were treated with either manual (n=53) or mechanical chest compressions with the LUCAS device (n=53). All swine cadavers underwent necropsy. ⋯ Nine animals in the manual, and two in the LUCAS group had liver hematomas (P=0.026%). In the manual group, eight animals were detected with spleen hematomas whereas no such injury was identified in the LUCAS group (P=0.003). LUCAS devise minimized the resuscitation-related trauma compared with manual chest compressions in a swine model of cardiac arrest.